Quartus® Prime Standard Edition User Guide: Design Compilation

ID 683283
Date 10/22/2021
Public
Document Table of Contents

4.1.4. Using Block-Based Compilation

During the design process, when making minor modifications to a design, recompiling the entire design can result in longer compilation times than anticipated. This is because every time you recompile a design following a change, the compiler may apply global optimizations to enhance resource utilization and timing performance, thus extending the compilation time. By employing a block-based flow in the Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software, you can isolate functional blocks that meet placement and timing requirements from others still undergoing change and optimization. By isolating functional blocks into partitions, the results and performance of unaltered logic within a design are maintained so you can apply optimization techniques to selected areas and only compile those areas. This approach can significantly diminish design compilation time, enabling several iterations per day and facilitating more efficient achievement of timing closure.
To create partitions dividing functional blocks:
  1. In the Design Partition Planner, identify blocks of a size suitable for partitioning.
    A partition generally represents roughly 15 to 20% of the total design size. You should use the information area below the bar at the top of each entity.
    Figure 40. Entity representation in the Design Partition Planner
  2. Extract and collapse entities as necessary to achieve stand-alone blocks.
  3. For each entity of the desired size containing related blocks of logic, right-click the entity and click Create Design Partition to place that entity in its own partition.
    The goal is to achieve partitions containing related blocks of logic.
Intel® recommends consulting the Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Block-Based Design to gain in-depth knowledge about block-based designs. This guide serves as a comprehensive resource that provides detailed information, instructions, and explanations related to the Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software.